Apparatus for manufacturing tanks and the like



Aug. 1, 1944- w. A. BUEHLER 2,354,794

APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURING TANKS AND THE LIKE .Original Filed Nov.18,-1939 2 Sheets-Sheet l- 60 3] [/rwanto'z ditu-umyd Aug. 1, 1944. w,UE LER APPARATU$ FOR MANUFACTURING TANKS AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Original Filed Nov. 18, 1939 Raj:

Patented Aug. 1, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE APPARATUS FORMANUFACTURING TANKS AND THE LIKE Walter A. Buehler, Cucamonga, Calif.

2 Claims. (CL 113-102) This invention relates to the butt welding ofrelatively large cylindrical bodies, such as pipe sections or tanksections.

The present application is a division of my application Serial No.305,130, filed November 18, 1939, for Method of and apparatus formanufacturing tanks and the like.

A broad object of the invention is to increase the accuracy of alignmentof the parts and to speed up the operation.

A more specific object is to provide a jig that can be rapidly openedand closed for holding two hollow cylindrical members to be joined inaccurately abutting relation while they are being welded together.

Still another object is to provide a jig of the type referred to thatcan readily be adjusted to hold tanks or pipes of different sizes.

Other more specific objects and features of the invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description of a preferred embodiment of theinvention, to follow:

In butt welding relatively large pipe sections and the like, it isdifficult to position the abutting ends of the two sections in perfectregistration with each other unless both ends are perfect circles, whichis rarely the case. In'most instances it has been necessary to aligndifierent peripheral portions of the abutting ends, one at a time, andweld such portions together before proceeding to another portion. Thismethod is slow and expensive, particularly when the sections to bewelded are large and stiff.

In accordance with the present invention, I provide a jig that engagesagainst the outer peripheral surfaces of the two sections to be welded,substantially over their full circumference, and forces all portions ofthe abutting ends into perfeet alignment. While so held, the twosections are welded together at peripherally spaced points throughrecesses provided in the work-engaging jaws of the jig for that purpose.Thereafter the sections are removed from the jig and the welding of thejoints completed, the initial spaced welds holding the parts inalignment during the final Welding operation.

My apparatus will now be explained more fully by describing in detail aparticular embodiment of the apparatus as disclosed in the drawings, inwhich Fig. 1 is an end elevation of the apparatus;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation view looking at the right side in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken substantially in the planeIII-III of Fig. 1.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, my machine includes a horizontal frameI having as its main elements a pair of parallel spaced apart rails 2,each of these rails 2 as shown being of channel section with the flangesfacing outwardly away from each other. These rails 2 may be supported atopposite ends on legs 3.

Mounted on the rails 2 adjacent one end thereof is a cross member 63 towhich a pair of uprights 5 are secured. The uprights 5 support a formplate 6 which may consist of a heavy plate of steel approximately 1inches in thickness and having in its upper edge a semicircularopening 1. Positioned in this semicircular opening 1 is a detachable jaw8 having an outer semicircular edge 9 fitting snugly against the edge 1of late 6 and flush therewith. The jaw 8 has flanges H] on one edgethereof for providing a bearing surface of increased width forcontacting the tank or pipe being worked upon. The flanges H! areinterrupted by recesses I l which permit access to the joint to bewelded, as will appear later.

The jaw 8 may be secured in place by bolts l2 extending through stirrupsl3 and the plate 6, the stirrups l3 being secured to the removable jawmember 8 and straddling the plate 6 (Fig. 3).

Cooperating with the lower plate 6 and its associated jaw member 8 is anupper plate M and an associated jaw member l5. Plate I 4 is slidablymounted for vertical movement in guide members l6 which extendvertically above the members 5. Thus each of the members l6 may consistof a pair of angle members l6 (Fig. '3) with their flanges l 6"positioned in spaced apart relation to receive therebetween the edges ofthe plate l4.

The upper ends of the two vertical members [6 are rigidly interconnectedby a cross head ll carrying a hydraulic cylinder 18., The plate M isnormally maintained in elevated position by a pair of tension springs l9 connected at opposite ends to the plate [4 and the cross head ll,respectively. However, by supplying pressure fluid to the upper end ofcylinder 18 a piston within the cylinder may be forced down to move apiston rod 20 which is connected to the plate I l, thereby driving theplate l4 into the lowermost position, as shown in Fig. 1, in which plateI 4 rests against plate 6 and the jaw l5 cooperates with the jaw 8 todefine a circular work-receiving openin In order to facilitate insertionand 'removalcf work into and from the machine, the upper structurecomprising the'plate l4, uprights: I5

and cross head H is hingedly mounted on the lower structure. Thus one ofthe uprights 6 (the one on the right in Fig. 1) is connected by a hingepin 2| to the upright 5 therebelow, the hinge pin 2| serving to hingedlyconnect two members 22 and 23 rigidly secured to the upright H5 and theupright 5, respectively. Likewise on the other side of the machine themembers 5 and I6 have rigidly attached thereto members 23 and 22,respectively, adapted to be interconnected by a pin 24. However, whereasthe hinge pin 2| is ordinarily left in position permanently to functionas a hinge pin during opening movement of the mechanism, the pin 24 isremoved whenever the press is opened and reinserted when the press isclosed to function as a locking bolt.

To open and close the mechanism, a hydraulic cylinder 25 is provided,this cylinder being hingedly secured at its lower end to a bracket 23supported from the track member 2, The cylinder 25 contains a pistonattached to a piston rod 27, which extends through the upper end ofcylinder 25 and is hingedly connected, as by a pin 2-8. to a bracket 29extending outwardly from the upper end of the member 22. When the pin 24is removed, and fluid pressure is supplied to the upper end of cylinder25, the piston rod 21 is moved downwardly to rock the upper structure inclockwise direction about the hinge pin 2| as an axis, the dotted linesin Fig. 1 showing the upper structure in partly open position. When thefluid is released from the upper end of cylinder 25, and fluid suppliedto the lower end of the cylinder, the mechanism swings back into thesolid line position.

Pressure fluid to actuate the pistons in the cyl inders I8 and 25 may befed from a supply pipe 60 through a control valve 30, a pipe 32, aflexible hose 33 and a pipe 34 to the cylinder [8, and through afour-way valve 3| either toahose 35 leading to the lower end of cylinder25 or to a hose 36 leading to the upper end of cylinder 25. The lowerend of the cylinder l8 may be vented to atmosphere at all times. Thevalve 30 in one position connects the pipe 32 to the pressure fluidsupply line '60, and in another position connects the pipe 32 to anexhaust pipe 8|. The valve 3|, in one position connects hose 35 to thepressure fluid supply line 6|] and hose 36 to the exhaust pipe 6|, and,in another position, connects hose 36 to the supply line 69 and hose 3-5to the exhaust 6|.

Referring now to Fig. 2, in addition to the mechanism described aspermanently fixed to'one end of the track and identified as mechanism 4|in Figs. 1 and 2, I also provide a similar mechanism 40 which is movablelongitudinally along the track I. Thus this mechanism 4|lincludesmembers 5a, similar to the members 5 of the mechanism 4|, except thatthe lower ends of these members 5a rest loosely on the upper surfaces ofthe rails 2 and are adapted to be detachably locked thereto in anylongitudinal position desired. Thus there is attached to the outer facesof each of the members 5a a triangular plate 42 which extends down belowthe lower end of the member 5a and is inturned to form. a flange 43which extends below the upper flange 44 of the associated rail 2. Bolts45 extend through this flange 43, being threaded therein, so that bytightening the bolts 45 the mechanism 40 can be locked rigidly in anydesired spaced relation to the mechanism 4|.

The mechanism desired isparticularly useful in welding heads tocylindrical tank bodies. The

are exposed at the recesses procedure in such instances is to first openup both of the mechanisms 40 and 4| by releasing fluid from thecylinders I8 and supplying fluid to the upper ends of cylinders 25,which moves both mechanisms through the position shown in dotted linesin Fig. 1, into the fully open position. The tank body is then movedinto place, resting in the lower jaws 8 in the mechanisms 42! and 4|, itbeing understood that the mechanism 40 has previously been locked to therail 2 in such a longitudinal position therealong as to cause the endsofthe tank body to be substantially midway between the edges of theflanges I0 so that the edges Fluid is then released from the upper endsof cylinders 25 and supplied to the lower ends of those cylinders,causing the upper portion of each of the mechanisms 40 and 4| to swingabout its pivot pin 2| into closed position, whereupon the pins 24 areinserted to lock the members in closed position.

As yet, the upper plates M are retained in upper position by the springsI9. The end members of the tank are next placed in position abutting therespective ends of the tank body and whi e the end members are held inthis position, fluid is admitted to the cylinders I8 to bring the upperjaws I5 down into lowermost position, in which they tightly grip boththe tank body and the end members adjacent the abutting edges thereof.The end members are thereby posit vely held in accurate alignment withthe tank body while they are spot welded to the body member at peripherally spaced intervals; this welding be ng accomplished through therecesses between the flange members it. Thus, as shown in Fig. 3, theabutting edges 50 of a tank body 5| and a tank end 52 are positionedbetween the edges of the flange members I0 and are accessible, throughthe recesses II, to the welding tool.

Of course the jaws 8 and I5 are suitably proportioned to fit theparticular tank being welded. and are dimensioned so that the innerperiphery of the opening defined by the jaws 8 and I5 is exactly thesame as the periphery of the tank being worked upon. Therefore eventhough the tank and the end member may not be perfectly round, they areforced into round shape by the jig so that they register perfectly allthe way around. When welded together at the spaced intervals defined bythe recesses l, the tank and ends will be retained in aligned positionso that the assembly can be removed from the jig and the weld completedeither by hand or in a suitable welding machine.

Obviously, to remove the tank after the ends have been spot weldedthereto, the fluid is first released from the cylinder l8, permittingthe springs l9 to lift the upper plate |4, after which the pins 24 areremoved and fluid is supplied to the upper ends of cylinders 25 to rockthe upper portions of the mechanisms 40 and 4|, into the open position.The tank is then lifted out of the jig, after which the entire operationmay be repeated with another tank.

The specific jig described permits the welding of two pointssimultaneously. Of course if it is desired to weld only one joint at atime, then the upper portion of the structure 40 may be eliminated, and,in fact, the structure 43 can be reduced to a mere support for one endof the tank.

It will also be obvious that, if desired, additional mechanism 40 may bemounted at spaced intervals along the rails 2 to adapt the apparatus forsome particular types of work. Thus if two relatively long pipe sectionsare to be butt Welded together, it would be desirable to have a centralmechanism 40, as described, together with supporting mechanisms on bothsides thereof for supportin the outer ends of the pipe.

To facilitate longitudinal adjustment of the mechanism 40 along therails 2, various mechanisms may be provided. A simple mechanism that issuitable is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and consists of a pair ofchains 55 looped over sprockets provided on a pair of shafts 56 and 51at opposite ends of the track I, these shafts 51 extending through thewebs of the channel rail members 2. A crank 58 may be provided on oneend of one or both of the shafts 56. Each of the chains 55 ispermanently attached to the mechanism 40 so that by rotating either oneof the cranks 58 both chains 55 will be moved in the same direction,carrying the mechanisms 40 along the rails 2 in one direction or theother.

As described, the work-engaging jaws 8 and I5 define a circular opening.Usually tanks or pipes are made as nearly circular as possible. However,the jaws may, if desired, be shaped to define oval or other noncircularopenings. Therefore, the expression tubular as used in the claims is notintended to limit the invention to use with hollow cylindricalworkpieces. The important feature is that the peripheral length of theworkreceiving opening be substantially the same as the peripheral lengthof the workpiece.

Various other modifications can be made in the particular structuredescribed, which is merely illustrative of the invention, and the latteris to be limited only as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for supporting a pair of tubular members in abuttingrelation comprising: a main frame, a lower form member fixedly mountedon I said frame, an upper form member cooperating with said lower formmember to define a workreceiving opening, and means supporting saidupper form for linear movement toward and away from said lower form toengage and then release a pair of said tubular members positionedtherebetween, said last-mentioned means including auxiliary frame meansguiding said upper form for linear movement therewithin, and meanssupporting said auxiliary frame means for swinging movement on said mainframe from a position in which said upper form is directly juxtaposed tosaid lower form into a position to one side of said lower form.

2. Apparatus for supporting a pair of tubular members in abuttingrelation comprising: a main frame and a lower form member fixedlymounted on said frame, a movable frame pivotally mounted on said mainframe for swinging movement with respect thereto from a closed positiondirectly above and in engagement with said main frame into a positiondisplaced from said main r frame, means for moving said movable framebetween said two positions, means for detachably securing said movableframe in closed position, a lower work-engaging jaw means secured tosaid main frame, upper work-engaging jaw means, and means guiding it forvertical movement in said movable frame when the latter is in closedposition, and power means mounted on said movable frame for moving saidupper jaw member relative to said movable frame to clamp and re- 35lease a workpiece positioned between said jaws.

WALTER A. BUEHLER.

